I watched Datome while I was in Italy. Dude is more Garbo than AB by a mile. Heart, hustle, outside shooting game but always crashes the glass. Good (Euro) defensive player and Virtus' "glue" guy. Gawani is a better low post guy but you could tell he's out for his while Datome sets the tone for the squad. Bargs may have more skill but Big D has all the rest of the so called intangibles.

BTW, VR plays in a 4000 seater that was louder and more rambunctious than any non playoff ACC game I've ever been to.

If BC is scouting for international players, he would be better off just spying on what the scouts from San Antonio are doing. They've written the book on how to scout non-Amercian players.

A very common myth. Since Parker in 2001, they've drafted more than a few foreign duds, while trading away their best foreign picks (Scola, Barbosa, Dragic), for what turned out to be scrap, before they even saw the floor for them. Another associated myth is that they actually had a clue what Ginobli would turn into. If they did, why would they have waited until the 57th pick to grab him, instead of wasting the 29 pick on a mentally ill Leon Smith who never saw the floor for them?

The draft is as much of a crapshoot for the Spurs as it is for anybody else in the NBA.

I watched Datome while I was in Italy. Dude is more Garbo than AB by a mile. Heart, hustle, outside shooting game but always crashes the glass. Good (Euro) defensive player and Virtus' "glue" guy. Gawani is a better low post guy but you could tell he's out for his while Datome sets the tone for the squad. Bargs may have more skill but Big D has all the rest of the so called intangibles.

BTW, VR plays in a 4000 seater that was louder and more rambunctious than any non playoff ACC game I've ever been to.

Most of the arenas in Europe are way louder than in NBA, even if it's finals.

How many rings does BC have? How many undrafted 25 year old italian forwards have a ring? Riley is a winner .....BC is not, that was my point.....Too many fans get sucked in by BC's media prowess. BC was probably on vacation in Italy and made it appear as though he was hard at work scouting.

How many rings does BC have? How many undrafted 25 year old italian forwards have a ring? Riley is a winner .....BC is not, that was my point.....Too many fans get sucked in by BC's media prowess. BC was probably on vacation in Italy and made it appear as though he was hard at work scouting.

What the hell does this have to do with your argument? Do you just hate Bargs so much that you've just got prejudice for all Italians now?

It's the same with free agent signings and contract extension. We've seen so many go awfully wrong that it must be a crap shoot as well. I suggest we don't judge gm's on those either.

I detect snark. I didn't say don't judge them. I said go easier. If you get a pick between 10 - 30...you have a CHANCE of drafting a guy that can come off your bench and maybe start if he improves. If you draft 30 - 60, you MIGHT MIGHT MIGHT get a guy that can crack your roster and develop into a rotational piece. A top ten pick should net you an eventual starter/6th man. You could draft the next Michael Jordan and he could blow out his knee in summer league or a rec game. You could accidently land on Isiah Thomas at 60. Colangelo as a GM with the picks he had, does very well in the draft.

DeRozan/Davis/Valanciunas/Ross/Acy being the last five picks.

Even when you get the first pick there are no guarantees whatsoever. The reason Bargnani is so frustrating is because he has the talent and body to put up 24 pts and snag 10 boards a game while simultaneously opening up lanes for players by stretching defenses.

Judging a GM on free agent acquisitions and contract extensions in my opinion is a MUCH more fruitful exercise.